Celebrate, educate, agitate!

From Wikipedia and article/interview with Corey D. B. Walker

Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth", it is celebrated on the anniversary of General Order No. 3, which states, in part: 

The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.

Originating in Galveston, Juneteenth has since been observed annually in various parts of the United States. Juneteenth became an official holiday in Texas on January 1, 1980 and North Carolina recognized Juneteenth in 2007. On June 19, 2021, Juneteenth became the 11th federal holiday after the efforts of Lula Briggs Galloway, Opal Lee, and others.

Historian Mitch Kachun considers that celebrations of the end of slavery have three goals: "to celebrate, to educate, and to agitate".

We invite area youth artists to create and submit artworks that reflect any combination of the theme:

Celebrate, Educate, Agitate!

Selected artworks will be exhibited in the Lyda Moore Merrick Gallery during the Juneteenth celebration at the Hayti Heritage Center on Friday, June 16, 2023